


Common

by sophia_sol



Category: Gunless (2010)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-14
Updated: 2010-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-11 16:31:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/114395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophia_sol/pseuds/sophia_sol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time the Montana Kid shot a man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Common

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Dinah for the beta!

When Sean heard the sound of raised voices, he knew a fight was about to happen. He rolled his eyes -- the hands were forever starting a ruckus -- and ambled out of the house to watch. It was usually a good time.

But he stopped short on the porch. That was...his pa? His pa, shouting? His pa, being called a common thief by some jumped-up city man? His pa, having a fist swung at his face? Pa wasn't a fighter! Hell, he didn't even wear his gun!

"Stoppit!" Sean yelled, but the cit didn't even seem to notice. "Get your hands off my pa!" He hurtled down the porch steps and down the dusty path to barrel into the cit and try to pull him away. It didn't work; the cit was strong and heavy, and hardly even noticed him.

Frustrated, Sean withdrew to rethink tactics, as his pa shouted to Sean to get away, that he could handle this himself. As if. Pa was getting licked but good, and he needed help. But what could Sean do? Why oh why couldn't he have had his growth spurt already like the other boys? Being thirteen and skinny and short meant he had no hope of being taken seriously by the sturdy cit.

And then the solution came to him, clear as a sunrise on a cloudless day. Of course. The gun! He spun on his heels and raced back into the house, clearing the porch steps in a single bound and banging the door open with no care for its loose hinges. On the mantle over the fireplace sat the gun, and he skidded to a stop before it and lifted it softly, cautiously, reverently. Then it was back to business, and he efficiently checked that everything was in order and loaded bullets into it.

Back out of the house he went, and once more he stopped on the porch. But now he had leverage. He extended his hand, gun trembling in it, and cocked it with a click that resounded in his ears. For a moment all he could see was the gun, solid and heavy in his hand, dark against the sky. Then the world expanded again in front of it, and he blinked.

"Stop or I'll shoot," he called out, voice trembling. Pa heard first, head whipping around to face Sean. "No!" his pa said, but the cit had heard too, and was smirking in Sean's direction.

"Let my pa go," Sean said, aiming the gun straight at the cit.

The cit raised his hands and moved a step back.

"Now apologize to him," Sean said, trying not to look at the blood running down his pa's face, at the blackened eye, at the twisted knee.

The cit's eyes narrowed. "What for?"

"For what you called him! And for what you've done to him!"

The cit spat at the ground, and said in an entirely insincere tone, "I apologize for harming you, and for calling you a thief."

"And the other bit!"

"Which other bit?"

"Calling him _common_!"

A lazy smile stretched over the cit's face. "Well, he _is_ common, and so are you. Nothing I say will change that. You're not even man enough to use that gun."

Sean's eyes narrowed, as hot rage rose within him. Dimly he saw his father gesturing frantically at him, but it didn't register. All that mattered was that this man had dared to beat up on his pa and call him names, and wasn't even _sorry_. Sean didn't realize that his finger was tightening on the trigger until it was too late.


End file.
